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Egyptian capital hit by massive power cut

An Egyptian man recites versus from the Quran at an underground metro after a massive power cut has hit large parts of Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. The power cut halted much of its crowded metro service and delayed the start of trading on the stock exchange. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

CAIRO (AP) -- A massive power cut has hit large parts of the Egyptian capital, halting much of its crowded metro service and delaying the start of trading on the stock exchange.

Egypt has been beset by frequent power cuts since the hot summer months began. The outages, together with water cuts, have enraged Egyptians, sending many to the streets to protest.

The cuts have been particularly hard since the July 20 start of the holy month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast dawn-to-dusk while coping with soaring temperatures. The power outages have also led to criticism of the country's new President Mohammed Morsi.

The government says excessive consumption due to the summer heat is behind the cuts. Thursday's outage affected large parts of Cairo, which is home to some 18 million people.